Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater is not the only tactical espionage action on the horizon. Black State is a third-person action stealth game clearly taking some cues from Metal Gear, both with its surreal, sci-fi tone and its MGS5-esque gameplay. Alas, none of the marketing has shown any giant robots (yet).
Black State is the first game from developer Motion Blur, an independent AAA studio based in Istanbul. Apparently the game will have few loading screens, using doors as portals to transition to and from a diverse set of areas. This acts both as a plot device and visual hook. The story itself concerns a soldier summoned by a group of scientists called The Architects for a mysterious hostage mission who encounters strange doors that teleport him across impossible distances. Other plot details are vague, though the trailer does show some of the characters you may meet including a Colonel Campbell-esque commanding officer heard in voiceover and an old man surrounded by clocks.
Most of the trailer is a real-time vertical slice of the game. It shows the as-yet-unnamed protagonist decked out in a high-tech suit, as he opens a door to a subway, runs down the train corridor, and opens another door into a military installation. He proceeds to take out the base using a machine gun, shotgun, and stealth takedowns, and it also shows a robot companion that maps the installation, tosses explosives, and activates smoke bombs. The end of the trailer teases a boss fight against a black-horned figure called simply Horn. While the trailer displays a more action-orientated approach, it’s clear that stealth will also be viable.
Black State is available to wishlist on Steam and Epic Game Store. The game currently has no release window.
